Who is an Author? An author is someone whose written work has been published. In addition to producing published work, people who write are considered authors when they originate the ideas and content of their written work.
Authors are talented and dedicated writers. They tend to have more experience in the research and publishing fields than those who consider themselves writers, and authors are professional storytellers who may specialize in writing any genre at any length, from short stories to full-length books.
Regardless of whether you work in fiction or nonfiction, to be an author, you must dedicate yourself to your creating and writing craft. An author might also hire a literary agent, who can help boost the author’s career with book tours, marketing, and publishing. Since an author may need to make a living off creating and crafting works of literature, they often need an agent to help sell their books.
Not everyone can produce good writing. It is a specialized skill that requires hard work, practice, and experience. But many talented people earn a comfortable living as professional writers, and there are a lot of options available to you if you’d like to pursue this career path.
One of the best ways to earn a living as a freelance writer is to become a ghostwriter. A lot of companies and professionals that work within these companies hire professional writers to create content. A ghostwriter might create anything a journalistic article, a blog, a screenplay, or something else entirely.
Basically, your employer comes up with an idea and an outline, and you’re the wordsmith who ties it all together. As a ghostwriter, you generally won’t receive credit for the content you create. But it’s a great way to make a living. It’s difficult to become an author. It requires discipline, a lot of hard work, and true dedication to your work.
A writer will finish one project and move on to the next. Conversely, an author might spend years on just one book. Here are a few of the aspects of creating a book as an author; Invent a story, Determine whether the narrator will be first person, second person, or third person, Develop the characters, and Make sure the story flows well. Taking a look at our previous article on the top 10 Richest Authors in Nigeria we decided to look at the richest author in the world. Let’s dive in!!!
Top 10 Wealthiest Authors in World
Who is the richest author in the world? You may be asking who is Elisabeth Badinter? She is an author that made most of her money through inheritance via shares. Since she is an author, she is considered for this list and happens to be the richest.
Elisabeth Badinter – $1.3 Billion
Feminist writer – Elizabeth Badinter
Elisabeth Badinter is one of the most well-known and controversial philosophers in France. She was born on March 5, 1944, in Hauts-de-Seine, France, one of three daughters of Marcel Bleustein Blanchet, the founder of Publicis, the first major advertising firm in France. Her father, the son of Russian-Polish immigrants, was a self-made man who left school at twelve to help his family in their furniture store.
He was also a resistance fighter during World War II. Her mother, Sophie Vaillant, belonged to the French Catholic bourgeoisie and was the granddaughter of left-wing French politician Édouard Vaillant, a minister during the Paris Commune of 1871. Vaillant converted to Judaism when she married Bleustein Blanchet in 1939.
In 1973 she received her agrégation in philosophy. She taught philosophy at the École Polytechnique in Paris for 28 years and is the author of numerous books and a public personality. The granddaughter of Russian-Polish Jewish immigrants, and the daughter of the founder of the first major advertising firm in France, she was born near Paris toward the end of World War II.
Badinter was raised with the belief that women were worthy and capable of great achievements, and as a teen, she was deeply influenced by Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist writings. A self-identifying feminist, she has chosen to fight for women’s rights, not through political and social activism, but rather through writing.
Over a career spanning nearly half a century, she has published widely on gender relations and motherhood. She is also an outspoken defender of French secularism.
Awards and Recognitions
- Belgium: honorary doctorate from the Free University of Brussels (2013)
- Monaco: Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (2011)
- France: Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (2007)
- Belgium: honorary doctorate from the University of Liège (2004)
J.K. Rowling – $1 Billion
Joanne Rowling
Joanne Rowling CH OBE FRSL, best known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children’s fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in southeast Wales.
Her father, Peter, was an aircraft engineer at the Rolls Royce factory in Bristol, and her mother, Anne, was a science technician in the Chemistry department at Wyedean Comprehensive, where Jo herself went to school. Anne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Jo was a teenager and died in 1990 before the Harry Potter books were published.
Jo also has a younger sister, Di. The young Jo grew up surrounded by books. “I lived for books,’’ she has said. “I was your basic common-or-garden bookworm, complete with freckles and National Health spectacles.”In May 2020, J.K. Rowling’s fairy tale for younger children, The Ickabog, was serialized for free online for children during the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 and is now published as a book illustrated by children, with her royalties going to charities supporting vulnerable groups affected by the pandemic.
Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it, is out now. J.K. Rowling has been married to Dr Neil Murray since 2001. They live in Edinburgh with their son, David (born 2003), and daughter, Mackenzie (born 2005).
Awards and Recognitions
- Legion of Honour2009Hugo Award for Best Novel2001 · Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Book2008, 2007, 2006, … · Harry Potter
- Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction2012 · The Casual Vacancy
- Glamour Woman of the Year Award1999Laurence Olivier American Airlines Award for Best New Play2017 · Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fantasy2017, 2016 · Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel2000 · Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
James Patterson – $560 Million
James Patterson
James Patterson is one of the world’s bestselling and most prolific authors. Although best known for his Mystery, Thriller & Suspense titles, he’s authored works in many genres, from Non-Fiction to Young Adult, Historical Fiction, and Romance. According to his website:
“Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove that there is no such thing as a person who doesn’t like to read, only people who haven’t found the right book.”
To further his desire to reach readers of all stripes, he is an active philanthropist advocating reading and education with book donations, college scholarships, and donations of more than $70 million to support education. Among his many awards, he received a Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community in 2015.
Patterson and his family live in Florida.Author and philanthropist James Patterson hail from the United States. More than 300 million copies of his books have been sold, and he was the first to sell one million e-books. With a salary of $95 million, Patterson topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid authors in 2016 for the third consecutive year. The National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award was given to Patterson in 2015.
Awards and Recognitions
- National Book Foundation’s 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community
- National Parenting Publications Honors Awards
- International Reading Association’s Young Adults’ Choices Booklist
- American Library Association “Teens Top Ten” Pick
- London Times Book Sense Children’s Pick2011 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Nominee
- Children’s Choice Book Awards
- Author of the Year 2010 for Max
- Nominee, 2011 Teen Choice Book of the Year (Fang) and 2012 Author of the Year (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life)
Read Also: Top 10 Richest Authors in Nigeria 2023
Stephen King – $400 Million
Stephen King
Stephen attended grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate.
He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level.
A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums. He has put some of his college dramatic society experience to use doing cameos in several of the film adaptations of his works as well as a bit part in a George Romero picture, Knightriders.
Joe Hill King also appeared in Creepshow, which was released in 1982. Stephen made his directorial debut, as well as writing the screenplay, for the movie Maximum Overdrive (an adaptation of his short story “Trucks”) in 1985. Stephen and Tabitha provide scholarships for local high school students and contribute to many other local and national charities.
Awards & Recognitions
- 2004 American Audio Publishers AssociationThe Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Narrated by Frank Muller.2009 Duma Key. Narrated by John Slattery.2014 Doctor Sleep. Narrated by Will Patton.2020 The Institute (Narrated by Santino Fontana)
Nora Roberts – $390 Million
Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts is an American author of more than 225 romance novels. She writes as J. D. Robb for the In Death series and has also written under the pseudonyms Jill March and for publications in the U.K. as Sarah Hardesty. Roberts was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.
Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. After a school career that included some time in Catholic school and the discipline of nuns, she married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland. She worked briefly as a legal secretary. “I could type fast but couldn’t spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever,” she says now.
After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six-year-old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate.
Roberts was the first inductee (1986) into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame and, for her 100th novel, Montana Sky (1996), the first recipient of its Centennial Award. Roberts also received lifetime achievement awards from the Romance Writers of America. As a child, Roberts was an avid reader and frequently formulated her own stories.
Typical of the genre, her works did not focus on glamour and money but instead featured characters that were relatable to readers. In 1995 she began writing romance-crime novels, which were released under the pseudonym J.D. Robb; her first book in the genre was Naked in Death. Extremely prolific, Roberts followed a very disciplined schedule of writing up to eight hours, five days per week.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2018 · In Death Limited Collector’s Edition
- 2007 · Angels Fall
- 2009, 1996 · Tribute, Born in Ice
- 2015 · Concealed in Death
- 2007, 2006 · Angels Fall, Blue Smoke
Danielle Steel – $310 Million
Danielle Fernandes
Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel is an American writer, best known for her romance novels. She is the bestselling living author and one of the best-selling fiction authors of all time, with over 800 million copies sold. As of 2021, she has written 190 books, including over 140 novels, she was born in August 14, 1947, in New York City, New York, U.S., American writer best known for her numerous best-selling romance novels. Steel was an only child.
After her parents divorced, she was reared by relatives and family employees in Paris and New York City. By age 15 she had graduated from the Lycée Français, and in 1963 she enrolled in the Parsons School of Design in New York. Illness prevented her from finishing her studies, but, when she recovered, she married a wealthy French banker. In 1968 she was hired as a vice president of public relations for the advertising agency Supergirls, Ltd., in New York CitySteel was an only child. After her parents divorced, she was reared by relatives and family employees in Paris and New York City.
By age 15 she had graduated from the Lycée Français, and in 1963 she enrolled in the Parsons School of Design in New York. Illness prevented her from finishing her studies, but, when she recovered, she married a wealthy French banker. In 1968 she was hired as a vice president of public relations for the advertising agency Supergirls, Ltd., in New York CityHer first novel, Going Home, was published in 1973 but sold only moderately well. Steel also began writing copy for the Grey Advertising Agency in San Francisco.
After divorcing and remarrying and while raising her children, Steel continued to write but did not achieve much success until the publication of her fourth novel, The Promise (1978), an instant bestseller that was followed by a series of popular paperbacks. Her fictional romance novels typically centered on strong yet glamorous women overcoming major obstacles or ordeals to secure a career, love, and a family.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2002 Winner Lucien Barrière Literary AwardFor the novel “The Kiss (Le Baiser)”.
Barbara Taylor Bradford – $300 Million
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor-Bradford is a British-American author with a $300 million net worth. On May 10, 1933, Barbara Taylor-Bradford was born in Leeds, England. “A Woman of Substance,” her first book, was released in 1979 and is now among her best-known works. She is one of the richest authors in the world. She is best known for her bestselling novel “A Woman of Substance” which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Barbara has written 34 novels to date, with her books being translated into 40 languages and published in over 90 countries.
Bradford’s novels are known for their strong, independent female characters and their portrayal of social class and wealth in England. Bradford’s success as an author has earned her a place on the Forbes list of richest authors in the world. She is estimated to have a net worth of $300 million, making her one of the wealthiest women in the UK. Her success as a writer has also led to her receiving numerous awards, including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and being named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in the UK” by Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4.
It was the first volume in the Emma Harte saga, which consisted of six additional volumes. Bradford-Taylor has written a number of children’s books as well as books on interior design in addition to her novels. Her books have sold more than 80 million copies in 90 countries. Barbara Taylor-Bradford is seventh on our list of the top 10 richest authors in the world.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2021: Barbara was named a Patron of The Leeds Library, the oldest membership subscription library in the country
- 2019: Appointed first-ever Ambassador, Women in Journalism
- 2019: Lifetime Platinum Bestseller Award by Nielson, the first time the award was presented to an author, reflecting a unique lifetime of incredible sales of a variety of bestselling novels
- 2019: The Leeds Award, in recognition of Barbara’s nationally and internationally acclaimed work, UK
- 2016: Barbara Taylor Bradford & Robert Bradford named Living Landmarks for their philanthropic activities in New York City by The New York Landmarks Conservancy
- 2016: Recognised as one of 90 Great Britons to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday
- 2015: The Lizzie Award from Literacy Partners US. The special honor is given to an individual who exemplifies the late founder Liz Smith’s passion for the written word and her commitment to improving the lives of those who cannot read or write
Nigel Blackwell – $292.5 Million
Nigel Blackwell
Nigel Blackwell was born in rural Oxfordshire in England. He has a love of books, a Ph.D. in Chemistry, and a black belt in pointing out the obvious. He has driven trains, crashed single-seat race cars, and traveled much of the world.
He now lives in Texas with his wife and daughter, where they enjoy the sunshine and listens to the coyotes howl at night. Mr. Blackwell, who graduated from Winchester College in England, and Oxford University, is managing director of the Blackwell Group in Oxford, which developed out of the B. H. Blackwell Bookshop, founded in 1879 by his great-grandfather, Benjamin Henry Blackwell.
Sir Basil Blackwell, who died in April at the age of 94, headed the Blackwell Group, which comprises more than 60 companies involved in printing, publishing, distributing, and selling books and periodicals, including more than 50 bookshops in Britain and Europe, and Blackwell North America. Nigel Blackwell is ninth on our list of the top 10 richest authors in the world.
Awards and Recognitions
John Grisham – $220 Million
John Grisham
John Grisham is an expert storyteller, whose unforgettable characters fight for justice in a world that isn’t always fair. John Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages.
His recent books include The Judge’s List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series. Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative.
When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system. John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Awards and Recognitions
- 1993 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
- 2005 Peggy V. …
- 2007 Galaxy British Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2009 Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
- 2011 The inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for The Confession.
Jeffrey Archer – $195 Million
Jeffery Archer
Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare is an English novelist, life peer, convicted criminal, and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament but did not seek re-election after a financial scandal that left him almost bankrupt.
He is the only author ever to have been a number-one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times), and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE, who was until October 2012 chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (incorporating Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals).
In January 2015 Mary was appointed the Chairperson of the Science Museum Group by the Prime Minister. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge, and Mallorca.
Awards and Recognitions
- In November 2014, Jeffrey was honored at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards with the inaugural International Recognition Award given to writers who ‘have contributed substantially to the health and wealth of the Irish book trade.
Conclusion
According to our research, these are the top 10 richest authors in the world at the time this article was written. Do you have any addition or questions drop them in the comment section.
Can you kindly share with us How many of their works have you read? Let us know in the comments below!
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